


I'm (not) Telling the Truth

by Teazia



Category: Psych (TV 2006)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Prison, F/M, Murder, Murder Mystery, Prison
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 07:47:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29328774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teazia/pseuds/Teazia
Summary: First ever fic that i'm sharing with a mostly dead fandom but hey.since it's the first ever fic, it's trash, i'm trash. we're all trash but hey, i'm trying.Shawn and Gus have been found out. Santa Barbara and the rest of the state are now aware that Shawn has been masquerading as a psychic for a number of years. He and Gus were trialled and sentenced to a 20 year jail sentence with no chance of parole, since all the cases they'd 'helped' on now had to be re-opened. Halfway through their sentence, there is a murder committed in their prison and Head Detective Carlton Lassiter and his partner Detective Juliet O'Hara have been sent into the prison by Chief Karen Vick to solve the murder and are shocked at who is on the top of everyone's list of suspects.
Relationships: Burton "Gus" Guster & Carlton Lassiter & Juliet O'Hara & Shawn Spencer, Burton "Gus" Guster & Shawn Spencer, Carlton Lassiter & Juliet O'Hara, Carlton Lassiter & Karen Vick, Carlton Lassiter & Shawn Spencer, Juliet O'Hara & Karen Vick, Juliet O'Hara/Shawn Spencer
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1: There's Been a Murder

Ten years. Ten long years since Detectives Juliet O'Hara and Carlton Lassiter had seen their former friends and fellow crime solvers, Shawn Spencer and Burton 'Gus' Guster, let alone been in the same building as them. To say that the two police officers were dreading solving this current case would be an understatement.

“There's been a murder in the state's federal prison,” Chief Vick informed the two once her office door had been closed. “An inmate was brutally murdered in the early hours of this morning,” the Chief continued before being interrupted by Juliet, no longer Jules, Jules reminded her of someone she would rather forget.

“Wait a minute Chief, this murder, did it occur in the male or female prison?”

“Good question O'Hara”, Lassiter complimented, “we need to know where we are heading so we can get mentally prepared. Well Chief, which is it?”

“Now see, I had wanted to give you a bit more information, get you really hooked on the case so that when you found out that it was the male detention centre, you would still be keen to take it,” admitted the Chief with a slightly guilty expression plastered on her features.

“Chief, it wouldn't have mattered where the crime was committed. We are officers of the law. It is our duty to solve crimes and put criminals behind bars or in this case, keep them there,” Lassiter replied, smiling at his little joke.

“Thank you Carlton. If you have finished, and there are no objections, I will continue with my briefing. The victim is Horatio Ramirez. He was convicted for the kidnapping and repetitive raping of 3 individual women. As the women were of different ages, occupations, race and no connection between them, it took a while to realise that we had a serial rapist on our hands. He was captured by the SBPD when he attempted to kidnap a fourth woman. The 3 original victims were found alive in his soundproofed basement they received counselling and are fully recovered leading normal, happy lives. Ramirez, however, was sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole. The prison warden informed me that he joined a gang, the 'Black Diamondheads', where he quickly rose through the ranks and became the gang leader's right-hand man. We know that the gang had a very strong rivalry with another gang in the prison, unfortunately the warden did not provide any information on that gang. Remember, just because Ramirez and his killer were already behind bars doesn't mean that you take this case any less seriously. For this murder to happen inside the prison with the guards and warden having absolutely no clue as to who committed this crime is an astonishing feat. Okay, that is everything, keep me updated and you two had better get going,” the Chief concluded, shooing the two detectives out of her office.

“Well this should be an interesting case,” Detective Lassiter began “especially if we end up having to interview anyone we know inside.”

“We'll be fine Carlton,” Juliet replied as she closed the car door ready to begin the drive that would take her and her partner to the prison so they could begin solving this case.

'I wonder if we will have to see them?' Juliet thought to herself.


	2. Chapter 2: Meet the Inmates

In the state's federal prison there are two well known gangs, the Black Diamondheads and their sworn enemy, the Puńales Rojos. The Puńales Rojos' leader and his right-hand man were two of the scariest inmates that had ever crossed the prison's threshold. After only being in prison for two short years they rose to the top of the food chain and were feared by all. Two years was all it took for the 'fresh meat' to become the head of Puńales Rojos, which is an incredible feat for anyone, made even more so considering the inmates' first six months at the prison. They have now been in charge for 8 years and have not weakened with time.

Puppetmaster and his right-hand man, Bruiser, earned their nicknames early on in their prison days and the leadership of the gang in what seemed like an overnight miracle where the former leader stepped down and gave his position to Puppetmaster without any pressure whatsoever.

Upon first arriving at the prison Puppetmaster and Bruiser mostly kept to themselves, they shared a cell which kept them from having to interact with other inmates. They were never heard or seen speaking to a single soul apart from each other until one fateful night when Bruiser was attacked from behind. Puppetmaster did his best to help his friend and tried to take out the attackers but they vanished before he had a chance. While Bruiser was recovering in the prison's infirmary, Puppetmaster was approached by the then head of the Puńales Rojos who promised that if Puppetmaster and Bruiser joined his gang they would be protected and vengeance on those who attacked Bruiser would be theirs. Puppetmaster immediately agreed and immediately began working out with his fellow gang members in the hopes of being able to fight off any more attackers and once Bruiser was out of the hospital he joined in on the sessions which led to the two of them becoming the fittest they had ever been in their entire lives.

Bruiser earned his nickname from the constant bruises that were on his knuckles and those that he left on all of his opponents, he never missed and he never pulled a punch. Puppetmaster, although completely capable of fighting his own battles, being more than proficient in boxing, martial arts, karate, mixed-martial arts, and several other forms of combat, never had to fight those who dared challenge him, using his superior intellect he was able to, if you will, 'pull people's strings' causing them to act in the manner that he chose. If someone challenged him he managed to work it that they were silenced without him having to lift a single finger.  
“Did you hear what happened?” Bruiser questioned his best friend and gang leader while they were lifting weights in the yard.

“Did you hear what happened?” Bruiser questioned his best friend and gang leader while they were lifting weights in the yard.

“I only just got out of solitary,” Puppetmaster replied, “I have been hearing a lot of things in order to get caught up, be more specific,” he instructed.

Bruiser announced, “a Diamondhead was killed,” while flexing his arms, admiring one of his many tattoos, specifically the dagger with the blood dripping from the point, a sign that he was a member of the Puńales Rojos.

“Oh yeah, I wonder who they're gonna send in for that,” came Puppetmaster's response as he finished his set before standing to get his new tattoo, which marked his eighth year of leading the Puńales Rojos. “If they send in who I think they will, this is going to be fun,” he smirked while chuckling softly.


	3. Chapter 3: Off to Prison We Go

Juliet and Lassiter arrived at the front gates, only to be stopped by the prison warden himself, “I just wanted to get a few things out in the open before you enter my prison,” Jeff Stone, the prison warden began. “While you're in my prison, you will follow my rules, my word is law. I have no issue with you questioning the inmates, however, when it comes to questioning the Puńales Rojos' leader and right-hand man there may be a bit of a problem.”

“What kind of problem? Trust us when we tell you we will treat all inmates as people and will not be unnecessarily forceful, despite what their past involves,” questioned Juliet.

“Well Puppetmaster and Bruiser – Puppetmaster's the leader and Bruiser is his right-hand man – kind of run the prison not just the gang, in fact the only prisoners not afraid of them are the leader and right-hand man of the Diamondheads, but one of them is now dead. Puppetmaster and Bruiser do not fear guards, solitary or any other kind of punishment we can come up with for them. Puppetmaster has spent more time in solitary than the rest of his gang put together. Bruiser constantly has bruises on his knuckles which match up with bruises on other inmates who have done something to upset him or Puppetmaster. They are two of the – if not the - most dangerous men who have ever come through here. Half the guards are afraid of them too.”

“They're just criminals Stone, I don't see what the big deal is,” Lassiter barked.

“You'll understand eventually. I have got it set up that you will talk to Ramirez's fellow gang members then once you have finished those interviews, you can start questioning the Puńales Rojos, apart from Puppetmaster and Bruiser of course, you'll need to lead up to them,” Stone explains. “But feel free to question the other inmates about them, I am sure they will be able to give you plenty of information. If that's all, I'll have Jordan Grimes, our captain of the guards, show you to interrogation. Oh, before that, just one last thing, no one in this prison, apart from Bruiser has heard Puppetmaster speak, and that is only an assumption that Bruiser has. Puppet, well, Puppet gives 'strong and silent' a whole new meaning. I think that is also part of the reason he was given that particular nickname. A puppet-master does not need words to instruct his puppets, he just pulls some strings and they follow his every command, no conversation necessary. Anyway all the information you'll need is in those files. Grimes! Escort them please.” Stone finished before he walked away.

“Right, you two follow me,” Grimes ordered as he too turned around and walked away, although in the opposite direction to Warden Stone.

“Come on O'Hara, let's get this over and done with, I really want to meet this Puppetmaster and his pal Bruiser,” Lassiter snapped.

Juliet and Lassiter followed Grimes as he led them to the room which had been set up for the detectives use while they were at the prison.

“This is it, if you need anything, I have stationed two of my guards outside, they will assist you,” Grimes informed the detectives before nodding and leaving them to their work.

“Well O'Hara, I guess we should talk to Ramirez's gang leader first, since he was the right-hand man, it is most likely that the gang leader knew him best. According to the paperwork the warden gave us, the gang leader is one, Fredward 'Freddy' Kreuger. What a coincidence, no relation of course.”

“Carlton, enough jokes, let's just get this over and done with, the less inmates we interview, the less chance we have of running into old friends,” came Juliet's reply. She sounded calm but inside a storm was brewing, she dreaded the possibility of running into old acquaintances.


	4. Chapter 4: We Have Visitors

In their joint cell, Bruiser and Puppetmaster were discussing the current situation in the prison and the information provided to them by a low member of the Puńales Rojos hoping to get moved up.

“Tall, lanky, salt and pepper hair, with a younger, beautiful blonde. That is what Miko described. Sounds an awful lot like people we know,” pointed out Bruiser.

“Yes, I agree, the descriptions certainly match those of our old friends. I need you to put the word out to the inmates that if they so much as mention anything to the pigs about us, they will not be waking up in the morning,” snarled Puppetmaster.

Bruiser smirked, “Already done, Boss.”

“Good, now onto more pressing matters. Has he written back?”

“No. But I heard that he visited Ramirez a couple of days before he died. That is too soon for that to be a coincidence. I have got Rat and Mouse looking into it from our end and have managed to convince Sketch to look into it on the Diamondheads end.”

“Good plan. Tell the gang that as soon as they finish their 'chat' with the po-po, they are to immediately come to either you or me and brief us on their 'meeting'. I want to know what kind of questions they're asking about us, because you know the warden would have told them that we are the most likely suspects, although we haven't done anything serious to anyone, ever, I mean all your opponents walk away, and I have never even lifted a finger to harm someone, I have no need for it. So it will be especially difficult for them to place the blame on us for we have never done anything that would suggest we are capable of this 'violent' crime.”

“Be that as it may, Boss, we are still prime suspects, even with you being in solitary when the whole thing went down. I'll have Butch inform everyone of your wishes. Now come on, we shouldn't be seen sitting alone together, someone may think we are up to something.”

“Someone would be right, but for now you are. We should go and immerse ourselves in today's current activity, which if i'm right is yard time, which is good, we'll be less likely to run into them if we are outside amongst our fellow inmates, and if I'm not mistaken, you owe Jester a rematch.”

“I don't know why he insists on one each and every time I beat him, surely he should have realised by now that there is a reason I am undefeated and some joker like him will never beat me in a fight, no matter what the weapon or style. But it's rude to keep people waiting, so come on, let's go.”

Bruiser and Puppetmaster rose and started to walk towards the yard area but they were stopped by the prison warden.

“Bruiser, Puppetmaster,” Stone greeted them.

“Stone,” Bruiser replied, while Puppetmaster just nodded, “What do you want?”

“Just giving you guys some information, no need to get hostile. The detectives who are investigating Ramirez's murder are a Carlton Lassiter and Juliet O'Hara, I thought those names might mean something to the two of you. I have arranged it so they will talk to the Diamondheads and then talk to the Puńales Rojos, well that is all of the Puńales Rojos members apart from the two of you. I told them they could ask any questions they wanted about you two, but they just couldn't question you personally. I hope that's what you wanted done, it's a bit difficult to organise everything in this situation but I have done the best I can. Now, it might be best if the two of you keep a low profile while the cops are here. That means no fights Bruiser, you'll just have to inform Jester that the rematch will have to wait, and as for you Puppetmaster, try and stay out of solitary. Now that's all I have for you for the moment, remember come to me if you manage to get any information from Sketch, Rat or Mouse, okay? Get to the yard now,” and with that Stone walked away.

“Well, at least he's honest,” Bruiser commented as he and Puppetmaster continued to make their way to the yard, flexing his arms as he went.

“That's true, and I mean he goes above and beyond the duties of a normal prison warden. You know Bruise, I think he either likes us or is scared of us,” mused Puppetmaster.

“I'm going to go with the latter, the former is extremely unlikely given the circumstances Boss”

“Yes, well, come on, let's go give Jester the bad news.” Puppetmaster replied as he and Bruiser made their way out into the yard to find their fellow gang member Jester to announce the cancellation of the fight.


	5. Chapter 5: Don't We Know You?

“This is unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable,” exclaimed Juliet. “I mean I understand being afraid of someone, but for the entire prison to be so terrified by these two inmates is absolutely unbelievable. I mean from what I gathered 'Bruiser' is less terrifying, but you still wouldn't want to meet him alone in a dark alley.”

“I know exactly what you mean O'Hara, I have never seen anything like this before. I really need to talk to these guys and find out exactly how they managed to become unanimously feared by their fellow inmates. I mean no one was willing to say anything about them, their own gang members were about to wet themselves. Also, when I asked questions about the two every inmate became wide-eyed and you could literally see them shake with fear. These two must be something.”

“Carlton, you probably shouldn't openly express admiration for a pair of criminals, what with you being a cop and all, it doesn't exactly send a positive message.”

“You're right O'Hara, now let's go and see Stone, I don't care what's happening in these walls, we are seeing these two criminals today and that is all there is to it.”

Juliet nodded her head in agreement and led the way to Warden Stone's office. Upon entering said office, Lassiter began immediately demanding to see Bruiser and Puppetmaster, stating that he wasn't able to get anything about them from the other inmates.

“These two might just be the murderers and you are refusing to let me see them? What kind of prison are you running here? Everyone just does whatever they want, 'Oh I don't want to talk to the cops so I'll just tell the warden to not schedule a meeting'. Well I am the Head Detective of the SBPD and as such I demand to see these two inmates within the next five minutes, or you may find yourself unemployed,” Carlton screamed at Stone.

“What my partner means to say,” interjected Jules while Lassiter was taking a breath, “is that we have questioned every gang member and anyone who had issues with the victim and we are coming up blank. It is now imperative that we talk to these inmates while everything is still fresh. Ramirez may be a criminal, but he is also a person, and he deserves justice.”

Stone looked thoughtful for a minute before he spoke, “When I heard you two were coming to see me, I figured that this is what it would be about, so I sent one of my guards to bring Bruiser to my office, I really think you should just talk with him first. Besides, with Puppetmaster being a selective mute, you aren't going to get much from him anyway. There's also the fact that he was only released from solitary this morning.”

Before Lassiter could ask the warden why he left this information out earlier, there's a knock on the door followed by a guard walking in, closely followed by an inmate and then three more guards, two holding an arm each and the third pointing the clubbing bat at the prisoner's back. The prisoner himself has his hands and ankles cuffed and a chain linking the two which the first guard is carrying the end of.

“Sorry warden,” the first guard began, “he didn't want to come so there was a bit of an altercation. Those that helped him have been sent to solitary and since I figured that the cops would probably want to talk to him soon, Puppetmaster is currently locked in his cell, and his privileges have been taken away.”

“Thank you Captain,” Stone began, “if you could just seat the prisoner and secure the chains and locks the detectives can begin their questioning. You may take your leave now.”

While the guard and warden were having their conversation, both Juliet and Lassiter were standing in shock, whilst looking at the prisoner, for unfortunately for them, despite the tattoos, extra muscles and scars, the inmate, Bruiser, was easily recognisable as their old friend Burton Guster.


	6. Chapter 6: If that's Gus, How's Shawn?

“Gus?” both Juliet and Lassiter questioned.

“Burton Guster is that really you?” Lassiter asked in what can only be described as an amazed and awed tone. “Guster, what happened to you?”

Bruiser, or Gus as he was formally known, simply stared at the two detectives with what can only be described as a look of contempt on his face.

“Gus, I am aware that it has been 10 years, and a lot has changed, but I know that you recognise us, and I also know that you are indeed Burton 'Gus' Guster of Santa Barbara, best friend of Shawn Spencer, since birth practically, you married a woman named Mira, without Shawn's knowledge who you divorced so that she could be remarried, however her fiancee was murdered. I know a lot about you Gus, I also know that the reason you are in here is because Shawn lied about being a psychic, and you helped him maintain that lie while working with the SBPD. Shall I go on? We know its you Gus, no amount of tattoos can change that.” Juliet spoke softly, as if she was trying not to spook a baby animal.

“My name is Bruiser. I won't respond to anything else, so I suggest you start using it.”

Juliet and Lassiter once again had similar expressions of shock on their faces. Neither could remember Gus talking in this way. His voice was deep, rough, gravelly, frightening and completely un-Gus like.

“Now you listen here Guster, I don't care what your fellow criminals call you, I am...”

“Head Detective of the Santa Barbara Police Department. Listen pig, I have heard you give that speech many times. I have even been on the receiving end before, I know how it goes, so you can spare me. No, I didn't kill Ramirez, no, I don't know who did kill him. To answer your other unasked question, yes I can think of a few people who would like to kill him, anyone who was interested in moving up the ranks in the Diamondhead gang, and any prisoner who didn't like the fact that the guy raped women, here there is only one kind of inmate worse than that and that is someone who violated a child in any way. Now are we done? Because I would like to get back to my cell, my cellmate and I are in the middle of an intense debate.”

With that Bruiser leaned back in his chair with a smile of amusement, that did not reach his eyes, and a slight chuckle, at the detectives sudden stupor. 

Both Lassiter and Juliet stared at Gus, or Bruiser, in shock, trying to reconcile this man before them with the man they knew and were friends with over a decade ago.

“Gus, I mean Bruiser, it has been so long, and I know you are probably upset with us, and you don't have to even like us, but don't you want to see justice brought to the murderer? I know this is prison, but...”

Juliet was interrupted by Bruiser's laugh, a new, cold and calculating laugh, that neither detective ever thought they would hear from the man.

“Really, 'you know this is prison', no offence Detective O'Hara, but you've never been to prison, you have never experienced anything even close to prison, so for you to just stand there and try to 'relate' to me, well its not so much sad as it is pathetic and completely and utterly pointless. It's been a long time since we saw each other last, even longer since we saw each other as friends, so I don't know why you're even trying. And can it Lassie, I see your mouth moving and I am already sick of your voice. Now Warden Stone, I really would like to get back to my cell, Puppetmaster and I really are involved in an intense debate.”

Lassiter recovered from his spluttering and glared at the inmate, “Now you listen to me Guster, and no I will not call you Bruiser, you are a criminal. O'Hara and I are police detectives whose job it is, is to solve this murder, which we will do with or without your help, and whether it was you, this Puppetmaster, or another gang member, justice will be served. Now you can go back to your cell, but I'm afraid you are going to have to wait to finish that debate with your cellmate, you're going in and he's coming here for his interrogation.

Bruiser started laughing again. 

“Haven't you figured out who he is yet? I'll give you another minute to see if you can work it out,” Bruiser smirked while leaning back in his chair.

Juliet let out a gasp and an “Oh no!” which set Bruiser off again laughing at the expression on her face and Lassiter's puzzled look which was slowly transforming into his 'aha' face, before the guards came to take him away.


	7. Chapter 7: Ready for another surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's really short - sorry waiting for inspiration to strike

Juliet looked at Lassiter in disbelief.

“It can't be,” she whispered with slight fear hidden in her eyes.

Lassiter was still having trouble putting everything he had just seen and heard together. Burton Guster was now some thug who went by 'Bruiser' and was the right-hand man of the most feared prisoner, the leader of the Puńales Rojos, a dangerous gang and both he and this leader were persons of interest, if not main suspects in the murder of the second-in-command of the rival club. And to top it all off, this leader, this 'Puppetmaster' was none other than Shawn 'not a psychic' Spencer? Lassiter suddenly felt the need to sit down and begin to question everything he thought he new.

“Carlton.”

He had heard O'Hara's previous whisper, whether it was meant for him or not but chose to ignore it out of uncertainty, but now without a doubt he knew she was talking to him but he had no idea how to respond to her. He forced himself to slowly look away from where he'd watched the guards take Guster from the room, something he found himself unable to do the past few minutes.

Lassiter looked over at Juliet and made eye contact. She looked about as stunned as he felt. He didn't know what to do, how to comfort her. They'd grown close in the time they'd been partners, even closer this past decade after everything went down with the two inmates who had caused them just as much such shock now, as they did all those years ago. He only prayed it wasn't going to cause as much work, he hadn't enjoyed going over every single detail of every single case the 'psychic' detective and his partner had touched. It had taken a lot of time and a heck of a lot of manpower.

“Carlton,” Juliet said again almost as if she was unaware she'd spoken the first time. “It can't be who we think it is... can it?”

Lassiter heard the wobble in her voice as she asked the one question he really didn't want to answer. Not because he couldn't, but because he knew the exact answer and it was one neither of them wanted to hear.

He slowly turned around to look at her

He slowly turned and locked eyes with Juliet, “I think we both know the answer to that O'Hara, do you really wanna make me say it?”

Lassiter flinched internally when he saw her wince at his statement, but he figured there really was no point in him sugar coating it, after all they were here to do a job, and that job involved interviewing prime suspects and this Puppet-master – he refused to think of him as any other name, even if he was familiar with, no especially since he was familiar with, that person's name.

Lassiter watched as Juliet squared her shoulders and let out a deep breath he didn't remember seeing her take in.

“We have a job to do,” she always was able to read his mind without realising it, “so that's exactly what we're gonna do. The guards are going to bring in the prisoner, and we're gonna conduct our interrogation like the professionals we are,” she nodded once she finished as if to say 'That's that” and then she turned to look at him with a little half-smile as if to ask for his opinion on the matter.

“I couldn't have said it better myself O'Hara, because we are professionals who are here to do a job...”

He was interrupted by a knock on the door. Sharing a look with Juliet one last time to make sure they were both ready, he turned to the door and told the guards to send in this infamous 'Puppet-master'.


End file.
